Doctor Delphine Cormier
by StorryTelling
Summary: Orphan Who AU - Cophine - storyline is like in 'Variations under Domestications' , just with Delphine as the Doctor instead of Cosima's monitor, means so I had to adapt a few things. The two meet for the first time, attend Leekie's lecture and find out more about each other.
1. Chapter 1

Many people are passing by as Cosima Niehaus walks home through the busy streets of Minneapolis.  
The prospective PhD's thoughts still resolve around the blood samples she has studied today in the lab. She always carries her ideas home from the University. Others leave to enjoy some spare time, sleep or hang out with friends but Cosima keeps studying at her flat. Sometimes she prefers her apartment instead of the white university walls, loneliness and privacy instead of her colleagues in the lab. She needs variation, even though she can sit in front of a microscope or her laptop for hours, especially when something really interests her.  
While Cosima walks she absorbs the nature and pulsating life around her. This is her source of power. It gives her strength for what she wants to do and needs to face. The blood samples she has been checking also include her own blood. She is interested in the DNA.  
A few months ago Cosima had been contacted by a woman. A woman who sounded like her on the phone. And when Cosima met her, it turned out that she also looked exactly like her. This woman, Elizabeth Childs - a cop - told her that a German woman named Katja Obinger had contacted her to tell her the genetic identical in Europe got tracked down.  
Genetic identical. Yes, Katja Obinger looks just like Cosima who looks like Beth Childs. And Beth found a fourth woman looking like them. She lives in Scarborough, Toronto and her name is Alison Hendrix. According to Katja there are many others who have the same appearance as them.  
It is obvious to Cosima that they are part of an illegal experiment. They are clones. But this is all they know and Cosima is the one who can find out more about their biology. She is the science side of Clone Club. This is how they call it. The ones who are aware of what they are.  
The problem is that two are already dead. Beth killed herself and Katja got killed. Luckily Clone Club got a great new member: Sarah Manning. There had been some trouble with Sarah and according to Alison there always will be. But Sarah is the fighter of them, she is the one who does things and moves. She got her the blood samples after all the issues including Beth's and Katja's deaths.  
Cosima would like to sequence and analyse them but she can't do this without being suspicious since her monitor works with her in the lab. Thanks to Sarah, too, they know that the ones who created them also watch after their creations. They hired people to observe them. It is hard to avoid her monitor because she spends almost every day at the university. So she works at home more often now to evade Scott.

Cosima sighs; breathes in the cool air. It smells like fumes and fast food but tastes like life. Life, pulsating through the city, ever moving. She takes the life in, with her nose, her mouth, her ears, her hands and eyes. The few trees planted to give the grey some sparks of green are a refreshment.  
But there is something new today. Cosima walks along this street almost every day and she has never noticed that blue box before.  
It stands between two chestnut trees. As Cosima gets closer she can read the letters written on it. "Police Box" and "Pull to open". A telephone box?, Cosima thinks. This is quite odd. Why would they put such a phone box here in the middle of the city?  
Cosima is always interested in things that seem to be out of place. So she walks over to the box. Its blue is a dark one, not like the ocean but also not like the sky. Her hands trace a door frame. Strangely, the wood feels warm, even though just a little sun shines onto it. Cosima takes the phone out of the holder. It is a real one. After she put it back she pulls at the door but it is locked. Cosima looks around to see if other people also notice the box. Some pay attention while passing by but no one gets closer. They are all in a hurry. From their expressions Cosima can see that they are not much affected by that box standing here.  
The human race should take some more time to examine the unknown and new, Cosima thinks. Many people are not open minded and like this they can't ever go further in their life. But Cosima is a scientist and science evolves constantly so she has to keep pace. She is very happy that she doesn't belong to those who stay at the same place forever.

"Excuse moi, are you looking for something?"  
Surprised she turns around. The voice belongs to a woman, French, according to her accent. Apparently the only one who also seems to be interested in the box. Immediately Cosima likes her.  
"No", she rises her open hands as intensification of her words, "I just was looking at this box." She nods into its direction.  
"Oh, it's mine.", her opposite replies. Cosima looks back at her. The blonde curls remind her a bit of a golden retriever puppy.  
"You put it here?" Cosima points at the box.  
"Oui." The French again.  
"It's funny, actually", Cosima's hands wave in the air while she tries to express her thoughts, "It seems like this box... kind of emits heat. What is its purpose?"  
"It just stand here for a while until I leave. I take it everywhere I go"  
Why would anyone carry a box around?, Cosima wonders.  
"Okay. You don't coincidentally know where I can sequence and analyse DNA?", she asks while her fingers play with the strap of her brown bag. The question is meant as a joke but expresses Cosima's distress.  
"I actually know where you can analyse DNA. But there is this lecture today I was going to see. If you want to come along we can talk about sequencing DNA later.", the woman offers.  
This is Cosima's chance.  
"What is that lecture about?", she asks.  
"About Neolution by Dr Aldous Leekie."  
Disappointment drowns Cosima's hope. She is absolutely not interested in that.  
"Neolution? Really?", she says doubtingly.  
"You've heard of it?" The woman's face lights up.  
"Yeah, it's like kind of fringe, don't you think? Well, this is my opinion."  
"Well, I think that, since you apparently want to sequence DNA, it would interest you."  
Shit, Cosima thinks. The possibility to sequence the samples. She may never have such luck again. The woman continues talking.  
"And this Dr Leekie is a really, really interesting speaker - I saw his TED talk online ... and wow." She smiles in admiration.  
"Mmh"  
Cosima has to think it over again. She just met a nice girl who has knowledge in science, offered help with sequencing the samples and invited Cosima to a lecture about science. She doesn't have to see the lecture, she can just wait until it's over - but it is also good if she can get to know this French girl better before they maybe work together in a lab by spending some time with her.  
"So?", the woman asks her.  
"Sure. Why not.", Cosima replies. "Where will that lecture be held?"  
"At the University of Minneapolis."  
"Oh, I attend this one, I know the way.", she tells her. While walking Cosima glances at the woman next to her. She looks good.  
"Say, do you believe in the unbelievable?", she asks.  
Cosima turns to her. "I believe in science."  
"C'est bon", the woman smiles, "Me too."  
"I'm Cosima, by the way.", she introduces herself.  
"Oh, I'm the Doctor."  
"The Doctor?" Cosima lifts her head.  
"Erm", she wrings her hands, "euh, I'm so used to French, you know."  
She laughs nervously. Cosima notices that she is a bit uncomfortable.  
"Mmh, okay. So, Doctor who, then?" Cosima smiles at her.  
"Um, Delphine. Cormier. Delphine Cormier."  
"Doctor Delphine Cormier? What kind of doctor are you?"  
"Doctor for everything. But I got my PhD in Immunology." It sounds like Doctor Delphine Cormier is actually able to help her.  
"I'm about to complete my PhD in Experimental Evolutionary Developmental Biology.", Cosima informs her.  
"So you're a Darwinist. The concept of Neolution is an evolution of evolution.", Doctor Delphine Cormier tells her.  
"And you are French?", Cosima asks.  
"No.", Delphine Cormier shakes her head.  
"Oh. I thought so because your name sounds quite French, next to your accent, to be honest."  
"C'est vrai. Le français est ma langue préféré. Et tu peux m'appeler Doctor." She laughs.  
Cosima decides to also pull some French.  
"Alors, docteur, I learned French for a couple of years mais je préfère l'anglais." Doctor Cormier smirks.  
"We are there." Cosima stops in front of the university.

The hall is already filled with people when the two women enter.  
"You won't be disappointed.", the Doctor ensures her. She probably noticed Cosima's uncomfortable face.  
"Yeah, I can tell.", Cosima laughs while she notices a woman and a man with silver hair and one white eye. Doctor Cormier follows her look.  
"Yeah, Dr Leekie attracts diverse thinkers.", she notes. Cosima studies the other people.  
"Come.", the Doctor calls her.  
"Okay." Cosima follows her.  
The lecture hall is already filled when they get in. Doctor Delphine Cormier chooses a seat in the front row, Cosima sits next to her. They take off their coats. Doctor Cormier wears a black knitted pullover underneath her dark blue coat. Black bra straps are visible on her left shoulder. Cosima actually gets a bit excited. She glances at Doctor Cormier sitting next to her again. Their eyes meet. The Doctor's brown eyes also sparkle of anticipation and excitement.  
Doctor Aldous Leekie - dressed all in black - is an actually likeable looking man with white hair, about 55 years old. He begins to talk:  
"Neolution. A philosophy today for tomorrow. Rooted in our past, in the evolution of the human organism. But before we go to the future let me take you back. 3,000 years to the great Greek philosopher, Plato, and his twilight years." Doctor Delphine Cormier was right, Leekie really is a good speaker, Cosima thinks.  
"Poor old Plato was going blind. Going lame and losing his hearing." He mimics these issues while talking. The audience laughs.  
"Now imagine if they knew we could correct his sight, restore his hearing and replace his ailing body parts with titanium ones. Plato would've thought we were gods! But we are not. We are just fundamentally flawed human beings." Cosima adjusts her glasses. Leekie notices it.  
"Your glasses for example", he says to her, "make you somewhat, uhm... platonic. But within the very near future, I'll be able to offer you the ability to see into a spectrum never before seen by the naked eye: infrared, X-rays, ultraviolet. You interested?", he asks her.  
"I'll just start with basic LASIK.", she replies. The rest of the audience laughs.  
"And so you should.", Leekie continues. Cosima looks at Doctor Cormier. She too seems pleasantly surprised that Leekie talked to her. They smile at each other.  
"That's making an evolutionary choice. Neolution gives us the opportunity at self-directed evolution. And I believe that's not only a choice but a human right.", Leekie ends his speech.

The two women follow everyone into the next room, where food and drinks are served. Cosima and Doctor Delphine Cormier grab both a glass of red wine - Cosima's favorite drink. While she tries it Doctor Cormier browses in a book by Leekie instead. Her dark red finger nails shine in the light.  
"I've to say, he's indeed a great speaker.", Cosima admits to her.  
"I told you, you won't be disappointed.", the Doctor says while stopping at a page.  
"Yeah, but what's behind the speaking? He's just promoting the future. Doesn't help anyone.", Cosima expresses her opinion about Neolution.  
"But he has got the ideas to make great things happen.", Doctor Cormier states.  
"That's only useful when he can implement them.", Cosima argues.  
"I know, I know.", the Doctor appeases her.  
Cosima looks around. Everyone seems so fascinated by Neolution but no one expresses scepticism. She looks back at the Doctor, who reads now.  
"Is Neolution eugenical?", Cosima asks.  
"Non, non, non, Neolution is not eugenical.", Doctor Cormier explains while she searches for a specific page.  
"Okay, so what is it, is it utopian?" Cosima keeps being questioning.  
"Neotopian maybe.", the Doctor suggests.  
Cosima takes a sip of red wine. She still doesn't really like Neolution.  
"Cosima, oh my god, look, there he is!", the Doctor exclaims excitedly. Cosima's own name sounds so different between those lips. She turns around. Indeed, there is Leekie, just a few meters away. He is in conversation with a silver-haired-white-eyed guy.  
"I'd just love to meet him.", Doctor Cormier tells her.  
"Okay.", Cosima says. She is not really interested in meeting him. Doctor Delphine Cormier again reads the disfavor in Cosima's face.  
"Don't worry.", she tells her while going towards Leekie.  
He looks up.  
"Hello.", he greets the Doctor.  
"Hi.", she replies happily. Cosima watches them talk. Then the Doctor waves her nearer. Hesitatingly Cosima steps closer. She doesn't understand a word they are saying because they have switched to French. Doctor Cormier notices she approached and smiles. Leekie looks at her and nods in recognition. He plays with a pen in his hands.  
"He speaks French.", Doctor Cormier whispers to her.  
"Oui. I have a neuro-lingual chip.", Leekie informs them.  
"Bullshit.", Cosima says. She just doesn't believe this. Leekie smiles.  
"Good. A sceptic. Neural implants are something we're exploring, however."  
Mmh, Cosima thinks and takes a sip from her wine.  
"At the Dyad Institute?", the Doctor asks.  
"You've heard of us?", Leekie replies.  
"Yes." Cosima notices the silver haired pair behind Leekie. She takes the chance.  
"Are they from the Dyad Institute?", she asks and points at them. Leekie turns around to see whom she means.  
"Oh, my freaky Leekies, as they've been dubbed in the media. It was once asked what my perfect human would look like. I offhandedly suggested silver grey hair and one white eye. Little did I know..." He chuckles. Unbelievingly Cosima listens. Doctor Cormier takes a sip of wine.  
"Well, I enjoyed your lecture very much.", she tells him.  
"Oh, thank you so much, thank you.", he thanks her.  
"You know, I studied Immunology."  
Cosima sips on her wine.  
"Hmm. And you?" Leekie looks at her.  
"Um, Evo Devo.", she replies.  
"So", she says confidentially, "Whenever somebody talks about the future I always say: Show. Don't tell.", Cosima challenges him. Leekie takes a long look at her.  
"I hope you'll give me a chance. Please have a look at our work at Dyad."  
He hands them business cards of the Dyad Institute.  
"Adieu.", Leekie bids them goodbye.

Cosima smiles happily. Doctor Aldous Leekie managed to actually draw her interest. She has got the chance to check his work out. Let's see if he can convince me, she thinks. Doctor Delphine Cormier also looks happy about the invitation.  
"You are such a brat.", she tells Cosima. Cosima just chuckles and boastfully pours herself some more wine. She is very pleased with herself.  
The Doctor looks at the people around them.  
"Do you want to stay a bit longer?", she asks.  
"No. Unfortunately I need to get some stuff done at home."  
"Okay. Say, what do you think of Neolution now?"  
"It sounded interesting. But like I said, I'd like to see some results, talking is never enough for me as a scientist.", she explains.  
"That's exactly my opinion.", Doctor Cormier agrees.  
"Hey, Delphine." The name tastes soft on Cosima's tongue.  
"About the DNA sequencing, can we meet up tomorrow? I've got to leave, I don't have any more time today." Cosima tries to not sound too regretfully. She would like to spent some more time with this girl.  
"Bien sûr. How about we meet where we met today?"  
Now Cosima smiles. "At your box? I've got time from 4 pm until 6 am."  
Doctor Cormier laughs. "I've got time all day."  
"Okay. Bye. See you tomorrow."  
"Bye. À demain!"  
Doctor Delphine Cormier - quite French - kisses her on the cheeks before Cosima leaves. Her lips tickle on Cosima's cheeks and tingle in her stomach.  
The young woman spends the rest of the day studying and does some research on Neolution. Her thoughts circle around Doctor Delphine Cormier.


	2. Chapter 2

Cosima arrives at the box at 4:07 pm. Delphine is already there. She wears a white tank top and slim jeans. It looks great on her.  
"Salut." Delphine greets her.  
"Hey.", Cosima smiles.

"Cosima, you said you need to sequence DNA?"

"Yeah. Hella urgently.", she answers.  
"Do you have the DNA you want to analyse with you?"  
"In my bag.", she answers excitedly.  
"C'est bon. You are invited to the most irrational trip of your life." Doctor Cormier smiles at her.  
"You mean I'll freak out if I find out?" Cosima smiles back.  
"You will ask yourself what your mind is capable of and question the human possibilities."  
"Okay, cool. You got me. You got my attention. Do you think you can help me with analysing the DNA samples?"  
"Oui. All we need is inside the box. Just step into it.", the Doctor tells her.  
Cosima rises an eyebrow.  
"It was locked when I tried yesterday."  
"It isn't now."  
Cosima pulls the door open. The handles feel not warm but hot this time. Maybe Cosima is just excited. It is dark inside. She doesn't know if she expected anything else.  
"How about you go first and enlighten me?", she asks, unsure now. She wonders what the box contains. Maybe lab utensils. Hopefully something like this.  
"Sure." Doctor Cormier nods, her golden curls bounce up and down. "Are you ready?  
"Um, yeah. I'm hella ready."  
Cosima watches the Doctor as she steps into the darkness. The white tank top makes her really sexy. She walks quite far into the box, probably as far as possible. Then she turns around and looks invitingly at Cosima. The prospective PhD takes a deep breath, represses the thought that she will shortly be pressed against Doctor Delphine Cormier in that narrow box and steps in. Just as she enters the Doctor steps back, the door closes and light turns on. Cosima is dazzled for a few seconds. As her eyes get used to the unnatural light shock paralyses her. Everything is bright. And everything is wide. It's big. It's huge. It's gigantic. It's unbelievable.  
Cosima is very sure that the box had been just a box when she spotted it on the street, not a cathedral-like set-up.  
"What the hell?", she whispers. Cosima looks around, turns around, again and again until she stumbles, her thoughts chase through her brain, she thinks of drugs or toxic fumes and then she looks back to Doctor Delphine Cormier.  
"I told you it's irrational and you'll question what your mind is capable of.", she says.  
"What?" Cosima is still shocked and confused.  
"It's okay. Go outside and come in again. Slowly."  
Cosima's mind races.  
"No.", she says. She holds her hands up, palms to the woman  
opposite her and shakes her head.  
"No.", Cosima repeats. "This is a trick, right?"  
"Non." Doctor Cormier shakes her head and walks towards Cosima.  
"Viens avec moi.", she says and takes her hand. Doctor Cormier drags Cosima outside, carefully, and she just follows, paralysed, barely aware of the warm hand wrapping hers. The sunlight feels different and as soon as Cosima steps onto the pavement she makes her hand free and walks around the blue box. Three times in total, while the amused owner of it watches. Cosima stops in front of her.  
"Okay. What is it?"  
"How about we take a walk?", Delphine suggests instead of answering.  
"Yes, walking... walking is good. I need some... distance.", Cosima agrees. She turns around to see if the box somehow changed but it looks exactly the same. Able to only contain two persons at a time, not the population of a city. They walk and while they do Cosima thinks.  
"It's amazing. Fascinating.", she says. "How do you do it? With mirrors? Is it a 3D picture?"  
She gets no reply.  
"Delphine?" Cosima looks at her.  
"You're a scientist, you won't believe me.", she tells her.  
"You're a scientist as well, so I can believe you."  
"It's a ship."  
Cosima stops.  
"What?", she asks. Maybe she misheard it. Doctor Cormier keeps walking for a few steps, until she realises that the other woman doesn't come along. She comes back.  
"A ship.", she says again. Cosima opens her mouth, she wants to say something, maybe repeat the what, maybe wants to ask if Delphine is crazy or just say no but Delphine is faster. She takes Cosima's hand.  
"Look, I can show you. But you have to listen first. Let's sit down somewhere." She looks around for a place to sit.  
"Ugh, er, yeah, come along, I, I know a nice spot", Cosima tells her, all puzzled by Delphine's words and by her hand. But Cosima doesn't let go while she starts to move again and hand in hand they walk to a bench under some maples.  
They sit down and Doctor Delphine Cormier begins to talk.  
"What you saw - the box - is called the TARDIS, Time and Relative Dimensions in Space." She pauses and faces Cosima to give her some time to process the words she just said. Their brown eyes meet.  
"Do you believe it's possible to time travel through space?", the Doctor continues.  
Cosima laughs out of disbelief. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes just a few minutes ago she seriously would have doubted Doctor Delphine Cormier's state of mind.  
"Well, there exists a theory that it can work out. A theory. Do you want to tell me that they were able to make it work?", she asks.  
"Only if you are ready."  
Cosima shakes her head.  
"My mind can't take this. Seriously, science is hella cool but this... will science really go this far? Can it go this far? You know, I'm not that into Physics, I prefer Biology."  
Doctor Cormier watches her.

"Do you want to know more? Some Physics?", she asks.  
"Not right now. I mean, I'd love if you could try to explain it to me later but I probably wouldn't understand it. Am I right with my conclusion that..." she pauses. The words she wants to say sound even strange in her mind.  
"Oui.", Delphine simply answers.  
"You don't even know what I wanted to say.", Cosima protest jokingly.  
"All you can think of is right." The Doctor smiles at her.  
"Okay. Good. Well... My brain needs a few minutes to come to terms with all this.", she explains.  
"Bien sûr."  
Cosima thinks it over and over and over again. It looks like nothing will ever be impossible. She glances at the woman sitting next to her. Delphine Cormier looks like a woman from this time. She is swinging her feet, then she looks up to Cosima.  
"Right. Good.", Cosima says while nodding, "I'm okay with the thought of huge scientific progress in the future."  
"Très bien. Are you also okay with sequencing your DNA samples now?"  
"Yeah." Cosima gets up.  
"Are you really not from France?", she asks.  
"Non. I'm from Gallifrey."  
Cosima thinks about to ask if Gallifrey is a city, a state, a country, a continent or a planet but she doesn't.  
"I'm from San Fran.", she says instead.  
They walk back to the box - the TARDIS. Before they enter again Cosima holds the Doctor back.

"Delphine?" She looks at her.  
"Mh?"  
"Are you familiar with cloning humans?" Delphine quickly scans her.  
"Oui.", she answers.  
It is tempting to ask something Cosima will regret, to get dangerous knowledge she doesn't really want to have. So she sticks to the currently known science.  
"The DNA samples I've got, I need to know if they are identical."  
"Alright. Entre!" Doctor Cormier opens the door. Cosima steps in after her. This time she is prepared but it is still stunning.  
"Voilà, the TARDIS.", the Doctor says proudly while Cosima just stands and stares.  
"It's bigger inside than outside. Much bigger.", she states.  
"It'll get much better.", Doctor Cormier smiles.  
"We are currently in the console room.", she explains. "Viens avec moi." She waves to her. Cosima follows the bouncing curls through some corridors until they reach a lab. It looks like a normal one. On the way to it Cosima stops a few times to just stare at the walls and doors or touch them.  
"You can run your samples here.", Delphine tells her.  
"Alright." Cosima unpacks the blood samples. While she works Doctor Cormier asks her some questions.  
"You seem to know that they are identical. What are you looking for, then?"  
"I just wanna be sure they are similar. And I'm looking for something that makes every sample unique. And maybe something that releases a respirator disease."  
"Can I take a look?"  
"Sure."  
It's silent for some minutes.  
"There is...", the Doctor says, then pauses. Cosima waits eagerly.  
"There is an anomalous part on the Cytochrom c. It's anomalous in every sample. But... it's also different in each one."  
"Oh. So that's how they tell us apart.", Cosima realises. Doctor Cormier lifts her head.  
"You are a clone?", she asks. Cosima swallows nervously.  
"Yes.", she admits. Her fingertips trace the edge of the table. "We, my clones and I, are apparently part of an illegal experiment. Our creators watch us but recently many clones were killed off by someone. Some also died from a respirator disease."  
"C'est intéressant. Have you ever thought of contacting your creators?"  
"I have, yes. Because I think if they watch over us we matter to them. But... I don't know what we are from their perspective. Are we just subjects or are we human beings, actual independent persons? I don't know."  
"Je comprends..." The Doctor looks thoughtful.  
"So I thought before contacting anyone I'll try to find out as much as possible by myself. And here I am." Cosima feels like she needs to get her thoughts off her chest and continues.  
"Thing is, I'm the only one who knows something about science and my monitor - the one who watches for me - works in the lab where I work, means I can't do anything when I'm there, that's why I'm really grateful that you let me work in yours. Thank you so much." Suddenly Cosima feels so relieved and light.  
"Pas de problème, Cosima. I can't reveal anything about your future - and with your I mean the humans - but I can help you with what you've got."  
"Thanks again, Delphine." Cosima smiles at her.  
"Cosima, do you want to go somewhere, see something? Everywhere to any time?"  
Cosima is surprised. Then thinks of this. This offer. Everywhere. Any time. Back, forth, past, future, earth, outer space, knowledge, yes, no?  
"No.", she finally says. "I don't think that I'm really ready for this. I have to move in my pace, in the pace of this time. It just doesn't fit in our current world. But thanks for the offer. I have got a different favour, though."  
Delphine has looked a bit disappointed when Cosima declined but now she looks happy again.  
"What is it?", she asks.  
"If you have got time - well, you literally have got time - maybe we can spend some of it together. I like your company and I can talk to you."  
"Super, c'est une bonne idée! I also don't have anyone to talk to - except the TARDIS - and I'm really interested where this is going - the clones and all.", she says excitedly.  
"You talk to the TARDIS?" Cosima laughs.  
"Bien sûr."  
"Weird. But okay. I'm completely okay with it. I love where science is going."


End file.
